Spirits of the Dead

Name: Spirits of the Dead
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Kenneth Vanhooser , Le Loup , Nashville

Photo: Courtesy of Le Loup

March 07, 2022

A bold sipper built on a base of scotch and Cognac.

Taking its name from the 1968 film, “Spirits of the Dead,” this potent cocktail blends a bold base of scotch and Cognac with aromatic amaro, Campari, and Bénédictine, as inspired by a grandfather’s liquor cabinet.

Ingredients

1 oz. blended scotch whisky
3/4 oz. VS cognac
1/2 oz. Campari
1/4 oz. coffee amaro (Le Loup uses J. Rieger Caffè Amaro, but Braulio, Averna, or Fernet-Branca will work)
1/4 oz. Bénédictine
1/4 oz. Islay scotch
absinthe, to rinse
lime twist

Tools:mixing glass, strainer
Glass:rocks
Garnish:pulled, twisted, then frozen salt water taffy (or simply a taffy on the side)

Preparation

Add a dash of absinthe to a chilled rocks glass. Rinse the glass, then discard the excess. Add the first six ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until combined. Strain into the prepared glass, expressing a lime twist over the top, then discard and garnish with the salt water taffy.